Abstract

Few studies address the multiplicity of psychological, social, and cultural influences on women's behavior as a result of their HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to analyze: (a) women's experiences of living with HIV disease from the perspective of the women's stigmatized status, and (b) a subculture of HIV infected women with a set of relationships, behaviors, events, and rituals that imparted meaning into being a woman infected with HIV in this society. Adult women were referred from their primary care providers and nurses, and consented for participation. A focused ethnography using individual interviews, group interviews, and participant observation was conducted with 16 HIV infected women attending a public health system ambulatory care clinic specializing in the treatment of HIV. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and entered into NUD*IST, a qualitative data analysis program. Findings were generated in the form of categories, themes, and conceptual linkages, depicted using the NUD*IST hierarchical branching schema. Two social processes were described as (a) stigma management functioned to preserve relationships, and (b) the women re-created the clinic as a supportive community. The definition of stigma was broadened; the lack of social acceptance was operationalized in stigma. One implication for nursing practice included the importance of fostering the creation of a supportive clinical environment. The use of multiple approaches--individual interviews, group interviews, and structured clinical observations--have proven especially adept at acquiring new information on women and stigma.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9732782; ProQuest document ID: 304426122. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Marsha J. Bennett, DNS, APRN, ACRN, CNE

Sigma Membership

Epsilon Nu at-Large

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Ethnography

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Women, HIV, Stigmatized Status, Stigma Management, Supportive Communities

Advisor

Yvonne M. Sterling

Second Advisor

Patricia L. Lane

Third Advisor

Martha C. Ward

Degree

Doctoral-Other

Degree Grantor

Louisiana State University Medical Center

Degree Year

1997

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2022-02-25

Full Text of Presentation

wf_yes

Download

Share

COinS